YES Network, DIRECTV and MLB.com Team Up to Provide First-Ever Interactive TV Content for Major League Baseball, On The YES Network's New York Yankees Telecasts
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 22, 2006--

Starting in July, The YES Network Will Be First Television Network in the Country to Take Advantage of DIRECTV's Interactive Platform

The YES Network (www.yesnetwork.com), DIRECTV, Inc. and MLB.com have reached a multi-year agreement to offer the first-ever interactive TV content for Major League Baseball, on YES Network broadcasts of New York Yankees regular season games in its home telecast market starting in July 2006 -- only on DIRECTV.

With this partnership, the YES Network becomes the first regional sports network in the country to offer its viewers true, single-screen interactive content. MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, will be the source for the application's constantly updated statistics, scores, records and other data feeds.

YES' first-ever interactive programming offering -- including live, up-to-the-minute statistics, box scores and scoreboards, a bonus "StarCam" camera focusing on a particular star each inning, a daily interactive game and more, will result in an unparalleled viewer experience, enabling DIRECTV baseball fans to interact in real-time with other Yankees fans. The enhanced features will be available to DIRECTV customers living in the YES Network footprint at no additional cost.

"This is the latest step in our efforts to deploy new technology to enhance the YES viewer experience," said Ray Hopkins, COO, YES Network. "Yankees fans are among the most passionate and most knowledgeable fans, and watching the Yankees on YES is often a shared experience. Through this partnership with DIRECTV, we'll give fans a more customized, personalized telecast, one in which they can interact with fellow fans."

-- Interactive access to season results for the Yankees, and their remaining schedule

"Only DIRECTV is providing sports fans with this kind of multi-layered level of interactivity," said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment. "We raised the bar on interactive content with NFL SUNDAY TICKET(TM) and our MEGA MARCH MADNESS(TM) NCAA package, now we're excited to partner with YES Network and MLB.com to provide one of America's most passionate fan bases with a compelling way to follow their favorite team throughout the 2006 season with exclusive interactive content. Our interactive features will make it possible for DIRECTV to move Yankee Stadium, and other stadiums around the country, into the living rooms of Yankees fans living in the YES Network footprint. By adding a new level of personalization, information and convenience to the Yankees viewing experience, fans will always feel like they are at the ballpark without having to get up from their couch."

The YES Network (Channel 622) is available as part of DIRECTV's TOTAL CHOICE(R) monthly programming service to residential customers in the YES Network footprint, including New York and Connecticut, and areas of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. DIRECTV customers living in these areas must have an interactive-capable DIRECTV receiver to access the enhanced features.

The YES Network has been the most-watched regional sports network in the country for three years running (2003, 2004, 2005), and also finished 2005 as the most-watched sports network in New York in Primetime (defeating ESPN and ESPN2, along with the other New York regional sports networks).

omg, that is cool. I can't wait until it starts. Thanks for the heads up.

JamieMadrox

02-23-06, 01:16 PM

:lol: That'd be a bad thing. I need that fool around so that I can still use the ring tone designated for my parents!

"Ballgame over! Yankees win! THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHE Yankees Wiiiiiin!"

you mean jon sterling?

destiNY

02-23-06, 05:19 PM

Me likey, too bad I am going to college next year and won't have access to YES. Still sounds pretty cool.

good luck with that...I'm graduating soon and it was a torturous 4 years without being able to watch my NY sports teams every night...seriously, good luck, at least you will do a lot more:gulp: ...it helps

justinvarnes

02-23-06, 11:34 PM

Man I really need DirectTV! Two things are stopping me: I have no idea how much it'd be and from what I heard all the MLB Yankees games are blacked out.

I live in Atlanta and with the MLB package you get almost all the yankees games (150+). the packages are like $60 - 80 a month (depeniding on your package) and the MLB Extra Innings is $130 a year (broken up into 3 or 4 payments).

Trust me when I say that for a Yankee fan NOT living in the Tri-State area, it is a GOD SEND.

johnnyyankee

02-24-06, 03:38 AM

I thought this was gonna be a thread about Kay getting fired. :(

This was also my first thought. No such luck.:(

jimmyclark

02-24-06, 06:08 AM

This was also my first thought. No such luck.:(

Knowing our luck they would fire Kay but replace him with Kim Jones.

Paul Hunter23

02-24-06, 09:53 AM

I live in Atlanta and with the MLB package you get almost all the yankees games (150+). the packages are like $60 - 80 a month (depeniding on your package) and the MLB Extra Innings is $130 a year (broken up into 3 or 4 payments).

I live out of market. If I sign up for the MLB XI pkg, will the majority of the Yankee games be from the YES Network? I am hoping I will be able to see them in HD as well on channel 94 or 95.

effdamets

02-24-06, 10:34 AM

Is it possible for YES to broadcast games with no graphics and no announcers? Kinda like the live feed at the stadium. I don't need any of that "extra" stuff distracting me from watching the game. That is why being at the stadium for a game totally beats watching it on TV!!!

jimmyclark

02-24-06, 10:41 AM

Is it possible for YES to broadcast games with no graphics and no announcers? Kinda like the live feed at the stadium. I don't need any of that &quot;extra&quot; stuff distracting me from watching the game. That is why being at the stadium for a game totally beats watching it on TV!!!

About 30 years ago when I was living in Buffalo, I once picked up on a Canadian UHF station an Expos game with no audio commentary. Just the stadium sounds, PA announcer. No graphics either which you missed occasionally but the memory of a "being at the park while at home" stays in my mind this long.

MunsonNY15

02-24-06, 11:57 PM

I live out of market. If I sign up for the MLB XI pkg, will the majority of the Yankee games be from the YES Network? I am hoping I will be able to see them in HD as well on channel 94 or 95.

I'm not sure if Extra Innings is the same on all systems. I have it on Directv and they normally carry the home team's broadcast. Unless that team's channel doesn't offer their broadcast to Extra Innings (for example, Cubs on WGN or Braves on TBS do not get shown on EI.) When the home team's channel doesn't offer its broadcast, then the visiting team's broadcast will be shown; again, provided the channel offers its broadcast to EI. So most of the time you'll see YES only for Yankee home games. But if they are visiting a team that doesn't offer their games to EI - and the Yankees are playing on YES and not WWOR - then you'll get YES for road games too. WWOR doesn't offer its broadcast to EI, so Friday nights stink. Thank goodness for MLB.com and XM!

But even though you won't get to see every single Yankees game, MLB Extra Innings is a God send for out of market Yankee fans. After having it, I couldn't do without it.

Heidi

KLJ

02-25-06, 12:47 AM

Is it possible for YES to broadcast games with no graphics and no announcers? Kinda like the live feed at the stadium. I don't need any of that "extra" stuff distracting me from watching the game. That is why being at the stadium for a game totally beats watching it on TV!!!
exactly... no more b.s. during the games.. just show me what is happening..

Paul Hunter23

02-25-06, 11:14 AM

I'm not sure if Extra Innings is the same on all systems. I have it on Directv and they normally carry the home team's broadcast. Unless that team's channel doesn't offer their broadcast to Extra Innings (for example, Cubs on WGN or Braves on TBS do not get shown on EI.) When the home team's channel doesn't offer its broadcast, then the visiting team's broadcast will be shown; again, provided the channel offers its broadcast to EI. So most of the time you'll see YES only for Yankee home games. But if they are visiting a team that doesn't offer their games to EI - and the Yankees are playing on YES and not WWOR - then you'll get YES for road games too. WWOR doesn't offer its broadcast to EI, so Friday nights stink. Thank goodness for MLB.com and XM!

But even though you won't get to see every single Yankees game, MLB Extra Innings is a God send for out of market Yankee fans. After having it, I couldn't do without it.

Heidi

Thanks Heidi. That's good news about getting mostly every home game on YES. How's the quality of watching games on MLB.com?